Help-How or when did you know what you wanted to do in IT?

NetworkingStudent

Help-How or when did you know what you wanted to do in IT?

Here’s my background:

I did some volunteer IT jobs.

I did an internship at a computer shop and worked as a computer repair field tech.
Also, I did computer repair for private clients as well.

Currently, for the least three weeks I have been working at an MSP. I enjoy the work, because it’s always changing. Sometimes we are doing remote, other times we are talking calls or making.

I enjoy computer repair, interacting with customers, and seeing results.
I see a lot of members on Tech Exam Forums that have a rock solid idea of what position they will have and when they will get there. I just don’t have that nailed down yet.

I have thought about Security, Networking, and or System Administration. I just don’t know yet.

Here’s some more back ground

Certifications
A+,Net+,Sec+
MTA: OS and currently studying for MTA: Sever

Degree:
AAS-IN IT (Non regional accreditation)

Does anyone have any advice? When did you have that Eureka….I got it moment in IT, and you instantly knew what you wanted to do? I see so mnay members on Tech Exam that know exactly what they want to do in IT, but I'm just not sure what I want to do in IT. I'm happy right now just to have an IT Job.

Questions:

How did you formulate your 5 year plan?

When did you know exactly what you wanted to do in IT? When did you pick your specialty?

When did you know that you were a Microsoft or Cisco guy or gal?

instant000

How did you formulate your 5 year plan?

I start at a destination, and work my way backward.

When did you know exactly what you wanted to do in IT?

Hrm. Not so much know exactly what I wanted to do, as I knew exactly what position I wanted to be in a few years down the road, and I figured what I would work on, to get to that point.

When did you pick your specialty?

I picked my specialty (security/networking) after comparing what I have done so far to possible directions that I could go in. I chose the direction that would maintain the most of what I have done in the past.

When did you know that you were a Microsoft or Cisco guy or gal?

I'm neither. I'm vendor-agnostic, and will work with whatever gets the job done. I could care less about any particular vendor. I only get vendor-specific certs because they have paid off in the past. Once they stop paying off, I will stop getting them.

ratchoke

After working w/ computers and building them for fun for friends/family, and when I realized I wouldn't be a doctor or lawyer.

pamccabe

I'm in my 30's so when I was younger, I experienced the computer boom so to speak. I've always been interested in them and bought my first computer at a young age. When most kids were saving for their first car, I was saving for my first computer. I think I spent well over $1,000 for a Gateway. Probably only had 8 or 16 MB RAM. lol Anyway, I would work on mine all the time. Slowly started doing the same for friends and family.

Since I enjoyed the work so much, I decided to do it as a career. I worked help desk for many years. At the time, it was great. I made decent money and messed around with computers daily. I loved going to work, couldn't wait to get there. However, it slowly got mundane and repetitive. Resetting passwords, clearing paper jams, answering random formatting questions about MS Office, and training end users got to be boring. I always felt I was capable of more, so I wanted to do more. I talked to people in the field and was told to try programming or networking. I took a programming course at my local tech college and found out very fast it wasn't for me. Onto networking...

I absolutely love networking. The school I am going to is part of the Cisco Networking Academy so that helped in my certification decision. I've always saw the value of certs, so I knew I wanted to be a CCNA. WHen I did help desk I was an MCP. Cisco is a very solid company that has a good share of the market. I figured I couldn't go wrong with it on my resume. I just really enjoy being able to create an environment that allows people to share information and hopefully make their jobs easier. Connecting rooms, buildings, and even remote sites is thrilling to me. Not a day goes by that I don't regret the decision I made. I'm an introvert by nature, so working behind the scenes making packets flow is perfect for me. Not only that, but I feel like I'm actually contributing to the companies success by making decisions that affect the network's uptime. I like the challenge, responsiblity, and excitement of it.

As far as goals or where I want to be in 5 years, well, I never really thought like that until I matured as a person. When I worked help desk, I liked the paycheck and using downtime to check my sport sites. lol I never thought farther ahead than what party I was doing that weekend. When i got older, matured, and became a father I decided to structure my life. I think it depends on the person. I know some younger people that are very structured, responsible, and career orientated. On the flip side, I know guys 40+ years old that live like they are just out of high school. I guess think about what you want from life, and a career. It is ok not to know, so make small goals. Set something obtainable, and then move from there. I try to always be learning.

Bottom line is you will need to try some new things to find what matches you and your personality. Take some courses somwhere to see where your interest is. It is good to expose yourself to new things.

DoubleNNs

I sorta just create a goal. And don't worry about it too much. If it happens, awesome. If it doesn't, I'll just ensure I'm making forward progression.

I'm so early in my career that my goals are all very malleable. My long term goals from the beginning of the month may be very different from my long term goals at the end of the month. In turn, my short term goals get shifted around even more often.

I do a lot of self-reflection, brainstorming, research, and goal-planning. When I decide on an immediate short term goal, I try to attack it w/ conviction and forget about long-term goals temporarily. In essence, I build a loose long term goal and then just go w/ the flow.

I'm sure w/ some more experience I'll have a better idea on what exactly I want to do, but like you I'm just too green to have that decided just yet. But that's perfectly fine w/ me. I'm in it for the (guided) ride, not so much the destination.

clouder

The nice thing about this industry is that it's ever-changing. When I started out, I wanted to work desktop support. Then, I decided I wanted to do more sys admin work. Then along came virtualization and SAN, and here I am again in a different role that really interests me. What you like today will probably change down the road!

nel

i tend to find i just fall into these things.

Dakinggamer87

I learned very early in my life that I want to work with computers and technology. I had a very strong background in math/science so it fell into place very easily.

Qord

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

but I'm just not sure what I want to do in IT. I'm happy right now just to have an IT Job.

Right there with you. My only advice would be to get your hands on everything possible. How can you enjoy something if you don’t know that it exists? Tell your employer and coworkers that you’d like to branch out a little, just to give you a taste of what else is out there in your current workplace. I did this, and now I get to play with everything except the SAN. I still have no idea what (if anything) I’d like to focus on as a job skill, but now I’ve had the chance to play with a few things I hope I never touch again!! (read: licensing)

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

How did you formulate your 5 year plan?

A what?

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

When did you know exactly what you wanted to do in IT? When did you pick your specialty?

Still working on that. I’d like to be a competent generalist before I start thinking like that. I’d love to be good at everything before I branch out and become great at any one thing. Although, if they wanted to send me to that week-long Aruba wireless training I emailed my boss about I definitely wouldn't complain.

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

When did you know that you were a Microsoft or Cisco guy or gal?

I started my current (first IT) job with my CCNA, but haven’t used that knowledge but for about 15 minutes, so I’ve been pushed into the server realm rather the networking realm, which is fine as I really enjoy it. I’d live to get more into the networking side of the house, but we have a hodge-podge mix of vendor gear, mostly Dell with a little Cisco and Aruba in there.

puertorico1985

I did not know I wanted to get into IT until my early 20's. I was in college for the medical field, and ended up dropping out and working customer service calls. There I met a guy who wanted to get into IT, and he informed me of the opportunities in IT, and the aspects of working IT, and I was hooked. This was back in 2008, and I have been working in IT ever since I caught my first break in Helpdesk. It was not until 2010 that I went back to school, and finished my degree in CS. I am still in school working on my MSIA, and am currently working in Networking. In reality, I do networking/sysadmin/virtual/SAN/little bit of everything...